Billy Creek Trail – North Loop

View from Billy Creek Trail (Upper Loop)

View from Billy Creek Trail (North Loop)

There are two Billy Creek Trail loops. (The Billy Creek Trail is on Winding Stair Mountain, LeFlore County, Oklahoma, in the Ouachita National Forest.) My post on the south loop is here.

The south loop is a 7.3-mile hike with 600 feet in elevation change. It starts with a spur near the Billy Creek Campground.

The north loop is a little shorter, but has more climbing. It is 6.9 miles long with 750 feet of elevation change.

My hike there on January 30 was pretty nice.

Approximate Elevations Based on GPS Data.

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Billy Creek Trail – South Loop

View of Ouachita National Forest from Billy Creek Trail (East)
Billy Creek

Billy Creek

The authors of Oklahoma Hiking Trails, Kent F. Frates and Larry Floyd, say that the east part of the Ouachita National Forest’s Billy Creek Trail is not recommended because it is “uninteresting” and “does not meet any real hiking criteria.”

I disagree with that view. I think skipping the east branch of the trail would mean missing much of the best scenery.

Approximate elevations based on GPS data.

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Beavers Bend and Winding Stair Fall Video

Ouachita Trail at the east summit of Winding Stair Mountain

This two-minute video from Discover Oklahoma features some very nice fall scenery from Beavers Bend State Park and Winding Stair Mountain National Recreation Area.

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Cedar Lake Trail GPX

Cedar Lake Trail, LeFlore County, Oklahoma

Cedar Lake, Ouachita Forest, Oklahoma

Sometimes during the hot days of summer, one of the best times to go hiking is right after a rainstorm. Yesterday morning, there was rain in LeFlore County, Oklahoma, that was supposed to be ending shortly. So I thought it might be a good time for a hike at Cedar Lake Recreation Area.

Interactive Cedar Lake Trail GPX Map

Click here for large interactive map.

 

Cedar Lake Trail

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